The below is a press release from Protect Our Winters Europe. Now I appreciate many of you may be thinking but I’m in the UK, how is this relevant to me? The activities we collectively love are linked to the climate – the odds are if you have stumbled onto this website, you like running, mountains, epic views of said mountains, clean air or simply being outside. Though we may be out of the EU, we also have votes closer to home (a general election looming) and daily decisions that all add up to create the future for ourselves and our kids. So take away from the below what you will, keep putting pressure on your local MP to champion your favourite running, riding or climbing spots, keep protecting what you love and if you’ve friends or colleagues on the continent, let them know what POW EU are up to!
This year 2 billion people will take to the polls across the globe, 400 million of them eligible European citizens. This is the biggest year for democracy ever, and everything is on the line. We are reaching many of the earth’s tipping points faster than expected, racing towards climate and environmental breakdown.
There is a desperate need to progress the EU Green Deal and adopt policies that bring about a just transition securing a better future, both on the mountain and in our everyday lives. With the right people in power, the next EU Commission could facilitate green jobs, maximise food security, provide clean air and water, and ensure biodiversity protection.
Protect Our Winters has launched its manifesto for the June 2024 EU Elections calling for the next EU Parliament to:
// Support a green energy transition
Ending fossil fuel subsidies and incentivising renewables.
// Improve and promote low-carbon mobility
Focussing on rail as the primary mode of international transport for EU citizens.
// Accelerate biodiversity restoration and the protection of wild places
Increasing funding for restoration measures, and ensuring Europe reaches its 30 by 30 target.
// End unsustainable business models and overconsumption
Providing climate legislation and financing that enables citizens to access goods/products responsibly.
The outdoor goods industry in Europe has a yearly value of €6.2 billion. Acutely impacted by climate change, it is aware that the changes it sees are just the precursors of impacts already critically affecting communities far less fortunate than its own.
Protect Our Winters is therefore calling on outdoor industry brands and aligned organisations to sign its manifesto, adding their names to a call for a greener future, before its delivery to the EU at the end of April. – This is where you can come in, speak to your favourite brands on social media, on email or at events. You are there greatest advocates and the reason they continue to exist. Given you are investing in them every time you make a purchase, make sure its a reciprocal transaction and that they are investing in your future
Full details and the manifesto sign-up can be found here: vote.protectourwinters.eu
Other ways to Take Action with POW:
- Vote! Voting shapes policies for a sustainable future. Your voice and others influence climate action, drive green initiatives, and safeguard the planet’s health. Grab a friend and go vote!
- Partner with POW. Read our Partnership Pack for more details about how your organisation can take part in climate action with POW in 2024.
- Pass it on. Encourage your friends, colleagues, or family members who’d be stoked to join our base of passionate outdoor citizens to sign up for our newsletter.
“We prioritise action over inaction, inclusion over division, and hope and positivity over tension. United, we have the potential to reach summits that were once distant dreams when standing alone.”
Jonas Schneider | Executive Director at Protect Our Winters Europe
This is not a paid or sponsored post
James Mackeddie 